(Here are the promised long comments no one likely cares about.)
So I was there Tuesday and Wednesday evening, along with the previous Wednesday evening (2/1). Three shows in 8 days might not have seemed like a lot before the closing announcement, but with the post-announcement prices, it feels a little insane. When I think about how much I spent…ouch. (Almost grabbed another ticket for Saturday when they dropped to $195 before managing to restrain myself.)
- Ben was on for all three shows. I didn’t detect any Muppet voice in the latter two (there definitely was in the first one). Solid is the word I would use for him too. I don’t necessarily love him, but he’s solid in the role and does some interesting things, though he is a bit lacking in nuance. One thing I do appreciate is his physicality and the way he uses his body.
- Tuesday was the first time I managed to see Emilie. I tried early in her run and kept getting the schedule wrong; then when I finally made it to a Saturday night when she was supposed to be in, she wasn't, so I gave up trying. I wasn’t sold on her voice at first. There was something about some of the notes that wasn’t working for me…a certain…harshness at times? I either got used to it or came to accept it as part of her performance, because I did find her acting in the role very strong. Hers was a much more openly terrified and desperate Christine. (This was even more apparent after seeing Julia’s rather strong version the following night.) In “All I Ask of You,” it really felt like she was pleading with him for things she needed, not just reciting a list of pretty things. In “Twisted Every Way” it felt like she was barely holding it together and was being, well, what the title describes. (Julia’s Christine seemed annoyed with the lot of them.) Julia’s WYWSHA sounded lovely and she got a reasonable response for it; Emilie’s sounded like she was pouring out her heart and soul. It had much more of an emotional impact, and the audience’s reaction was much bigger. It was interesting to see them both one after the other, each with her own strengths.
- I mentioned before that I saw the Raoul understudy on 2/1 and didn’t care for him. Others stepped in to defend his voice, but my issue wasn’t with his voice, which was fine. It was the acting and lack of presence and chemistry with Christine. Riddle was back for both shows this week, and I really love him in the role. It’s not just the singing, though I think his voice is glorious; it’s the acting. In “Think of Me” there’s that moment where he’s flipping through his program, and then he realizes who she is, and this look of complete delight comes over him. There’s a bigness to his reaction without going over-the-top. (When Murphy did this moment, it was just...fine.) Through the final verse when the attention is back on her, when a lot of Raouls would fade into the background, Riddle’s still playing it like he can barely contain himself and his heart’s about to burst from his chest (this was bigger on Tuesday than Wednesday). Not in a way to take attention from her--most probably wouldn't notice--just a logical continuation of what was happening in his verse, and given how fast the Raoul-Christine relationship develops, those big emotions from the start help sell it. I’m always interested in seeing what actors are doing when they’re not the focus in a scene, and there’s a lot of good stuff there with him. It’s a great performance all around. (I also appreciate a Raoul who is able to do the “It’s an engagement, not a crime” line without sounding like a condescending dick or angry jerk.)
He also had better chemistry with Emilie than Julia, so I’m willing to concede some of Murphy’s chemistry problems may have been with Julia. In the second kiss in AIAOY when Christine kisses him back, Emilie really went for it, which Christine should, because…it’s passionate. You’re in love. Julia’s response was a slower, more restrained sort of, “Oh, okay. I’ll kiss you now.” that felt like going through the motions. I’m a cheeseball and am primed to be swept away in that moment—that slow, purposeful step when he walks toward her, then he kisses her, then she throws her arms around him and kisses him back... I got the emotion I was looking for Tuesday. Not so much on Wednesday, though the lack of heat wasn’t coming from his side.
- Trista Moldovan was on as Carlotta in the last two shows. She wasn’t as bitchy as I’m used to, which made for a more grounded Carlotta, which was interesting. The whole “these things do happen” diatribe played less like a hissy fit than a woman making perfectly reasonable comments, and she seemed genuinely hurt in the lead up to "Prima Donna." Up until she called Christine a toad she was oddly sympathetic, at least on Tuesday. (She was a little bitchier Wednesday.)
Hoping to go once or twice more before the prices skyrocket. Interested in seeing Feliciano as Christine if possible; looks like she only has one date left, next week.
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